Kirsty was born and raised in New Zealand and is of Maori ( Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Ruapani), Scottish, Irish, French and English descent. Hamilton trained as an actress at Toi Whakaari - The New Zealand Drama School. She played Catherine in Simon Bare's short film - Eau De La Vie and Grace in Costa Botes feature film Saving Grace (1997). Kirsty has played numerous roles in theater including Rosalind in Miranda Harcourt's production of Shakespeare's play As You Like It, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Mouse in Riwia Brown's Roimata, Mrs Cheavely in An Ideal Husband directed by Patrick Graham, Valerie in Connor Mc Pherson's The Weir, Lorraine in Elaine Murphy's Little Gem and a host of classical roles. In 2007 Kirsty was chosen as a Shakespeare Globe Center of New Zealand's Fellow at Shakespeare's Globe theater alongside Rawiri Paratene in London, where she studied acting Shakespeare for the summer with a number of tutors including Patsy Rodenburg and Giles Block. In 2009 she graduated from European Act a three- month screen acting and Meisner course in London, Paris and Berlin through the London Actor's Center, showcasing at RADA playing Charlotte in Harold Pinter's Party Time directed by Harry Burton. Kirsty returned to NZ from two three year long stints in London to obtain a place in the creative writing Masters at the International Institute of Modern Letters. After earning her masters in 2012, she went on to gain an honors degree in screen production at the University of Auckland . She made her first two short films there, Kat and Breathe (formerly Sunset). In 2016 she was chosen by the New Zealand Directors Guild alongside nine other up and coming female directors to take part in a series of workshops for female writer/director making the move to features. That year she was picked by the New Zealand Film Commission as an Accelerator participant at MIFF. She completed her third short film in 2018 - Cold, starring Matthew Sunderland which premiered at the Sandy Dennis Film Festival. Kirsty is working with writer Suzanne Adamson to direct her forth short film in 2022 which achieved second round NZFC Fresh Shorts status in 2020. She and her team will be fundraising in 2021 to finance the short. Kirsty submitted her feature script Without Sin (Harakore) previously named Lockhart to Sundance Writers Lab 2019 (achieved second round), Iris Writers Lab 2019, Seed Development 2017 & 18, Film Up 2017 & 19, Tribeca All Access, Screenwriters Lab - Hamptons Film Festival and other labs. She is also working to get her first feature up and additionally obtain US acting representation.